See also special areas
At a glance
Structure of Parliament: Bicameral
Are there legislated quotas...
- No for the Single/Lower House?
- No for the Upper House?
- Yes at the Sub-national level?
Are there voluntary quotas...
- Yes adopted by political parties?
South Africa
(Republic of South Africa)
Single/Lower house
National Assembly
| Total seats: | 400 |
| Total women: | 178 |
| % women: | 45% |
| Election year: | 2009 |
| Electoral system: | List PR |
| Quota type: | Voluntary Political Party Quotas |
| Election details: |
IDEA Voter Turnout
IPU Parline |
Sources | Additional information | Contact us
Last updated 2009-09-14
Quota at the Sub-National Level
| Quota type: | Legislated Candidate Quotas |
| Legal source | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| Quota type: Legislated Candidate Quotas |
Constitution | In the various elections for local councils, "every party must seek to ensure that fifty per cent of the candidates on the party list are women and that women and men candidates are evenly distributed through the list" (Local Government Act, Schedule 1, Section 11 [3]; Schedule 2, Sections 5 [3] & 17 [5]). |
| Legal sanctions for non-compliance: | N/A | No data available |
| Rank order/placement rules: | Yes | In the various elections for local councils, "every party must seek to ensure that fifty per cent of the candidates on the party list are women and that women and men candidates are evenly distributed through the list" (Local Government Act, Schedule 1, Section 11 [3]; Schedule 2, Sections 5 [3] & 17 [5]). |
Sources | Additional information | Contact us
Last updated 2009-11-19
Voluntary Political Party Quotas*
| Party | Acronym | Official Name | Details, Quota provisions |
|---|---|---|---|
| African National Congress | ANC | First, ANC adopted a 50% gender quota in local elections. In 2007 this was increased to electoral lists at national levels as well. The party statute reads: "the provision of a quota of not less than fifty percent of women in all elected structures" (ANC Constitution, Article 6 [1]). |
* Only political parties represented in parliament are included. In case of legislated quotas, only political parties that have quotas beyond the national quota legislation are presented in this table.
Sources | Additional information | Contact us
Last updated 2009-11-30
